This R13 application requests support for the 16th International Symposium on Cells of the Hepatic Sinusoid (ISCHS) to be held in Florence, Italy on Sept 22-24, 2011. The application requests support for the participation of invited expert speakers, as well as for young clinical and basic investigators. The goal of the 16th ISCHS is to bring together an international group of multidisciplinary scientists, including established and new investigators, as well as pre- and post-doctoral trainees, who are interested in the common questions: "How does the cross-talk between different liver cell types in the hepatic sinusoid facilitate liver development and growth, homeostasis and pathological outcomes in disease?". Participants at the meeting will present cutting edge, high quality research which begins to identify novel molecular and cellular interactions within the liver sinusoid. There are surprising gaps in our understanding of this basic unit of functional activity in the liver;advances in hepatic sinusoidal cell biology are critical to understanding the cellular basis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). The ISHSR has represented the only international organization which gathers leading investigators in liver biology and hepatocellular cross talk from around the world. This meeting will facilitate and promote: 1) international collaborations between different countries with populations differing in their genetics and social backgrounds who suffer from ALD, 2) resource sharing between international investigators, generating synergy and unique ideas and 3) interaction of trainees at the international level. Taken together, the unique environment of the ISCHS is an ideal format for cutting-edge interactions on the potential implications of their research into the pathogenesis of ALD, helping to synergize research that will fill these gaps and advance the frontier of research in ALD and development of preventative and therapeutic treatments. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This application seeks support for organizing the 16th International Symposium for Cells of the Hepatic Sinusoid, to bring together scientists interested in the function of the cells of the hepatic sinusoid in health and disease. Advances in hepatic sinusoidal cell biology are critical to understanding the cellular basis of alcoholic liver disease. By providing a forum for experts from many disciplines to discuss the problems related to alcoholic liver disease and share their latest data, new scientific questions and new directions in the field are likely to emerge. Ultimately, these will lead to scientific breakthroughs that will define new treatments for liver injury caused by alcohol.